There are lots of poets with a Pittsburgh-area connection. Some were born here and left. Some were born elsewhere but came here to live and write. Some became world famous. Others are more locally known. The Gumberg Library has created this research guide to celebrate them all and to introduce you to these poets and their work. Scroll down to meet them. If you do not find a poet you are looking for on this research guide, try Littsburgh. You may find them there.
The image above is a detail from a photo entitled "Pittsburgh Skyline at Sundown" by jakeliefer. CC BY-SA 2.0 Source: Wikimedia Commons
Biography, from American Poets, 1880-1945, 1st Series
Biography, from American Nature Poets
Biography, from Contemporary Authors
Biography, from American Poets, 1880-1945, 2nd Series
Biography, from American Poets Since World War II, 2nd Series
Biography, from Contemporary Authors
Biography, from 20th-Century Caribbean and Black African Writers, 1st Series
Biography, from Twentieth-First Century American Poets
All books by Gilbert at the Gumberg Library
Biography, from Contemporary Authors
All books by Toi Derricotte at the Gumberg Library
Biography, from Contemporary Authors
All books by Lynn Emanuel at the Gumberg Library
Biography, from Contemporary Authors
Another Biography, from American Poets Since World War II, 3rd Series
All books by Daniels in the Gumberg Library
Obituary from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Do you know of a Pittsburgh poet that we have missed but who should be added to this site? If so, click the link below to send me an email with your suggestion. Thanks in advance. Criteria for inclusion: A poet must have been born in Pittsburgh, currently live in Pittsburgh, or have lived in Pittsburgh for an appreciable portion of their lives, and must have had one book of poetry published (not a chapbook). The book cannot have been self-published.
Robinson Jeffers: Photo by Carl Van Vechten, 1937. Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
James Laughlin: 1963, CC-ASA-3.0-U, Wikimedia Commons
Gerald Stern: Photo by Rodrigo Fernandez, CC-ASA-3.0-U, Wikimedia Commons
Dennis Brutus: 1967, South African National Archive, CC-ASA-3.0-U, Wikimedia Commons
Jack Gilbert: http://www.kenyonreview.org/2012/04/infinite-books-the-collected-poems-of-jack-gilbert/
Toi Derricotte: http://www.toiderricotte.com/
Lyn Emanuel: http://www.writing.pitt.edu/people/faculty/lynn-emanuel
Terrance Hayes: http://www.agnesscott.edu/writersfestival/guest-writers.html
Jim Daniels: http://www.lansingcitypulse.com/lansing/article-6883-write-to-work.html
Patricia Dobler: http://www.carlow.edu/About_Patricia_Dobler.aspx
Judith Vollmer: http://www.judithvollmer.com/
Michael S. Begnal: http://www.duq.edu/academics/faculty/mike-begnal
Billy Nardozzi: https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/mqr/2018/06/who-is-billie-nardozzi-a-k-a-rachel/
Richard St. John: http://clarioncallnews.com/poets-respond-cultural-series-religious-theme/
Biography, from American Writers in Paris, 1920-1939
Biography, from Gay & Lesbian Biography
Biography, from American Poets, 1880-1945, First Series
Biography from Contemporary Authors Online
Biography, from Contemporary Authors
Biography, from Contemporary Poets
Biography, from Contemporary Authors Online
Biography, from Contemporary Authors
Biography, from Contemporary Poets
All books by Hazo at the Gumberg Library
Biography, from Contemporary Authors Online
All books by Roberson at the Gumberg Library
Biography, from Contemporary Authors
All books by Jan Beatty at the Gumberg Library
Biography, from Contemporary Authors
All books by Ochester at the Gumberg Library
Biography, from Contemporary Authors Online
Another biography from the Pennsylvania Center for the Book
Biography, from Contemporary Authors
Biography from the Pennsylvania Center for the Book
All books by Oresick at the Gumberg Library
Biography, from the Pennsylvania Center for the Book
Biography from Carnegie Mellon University
Biography, from American Poets 1880-1945: First Series
Biography, from Contemporary Authors Online
Gertrude Stein: Photo by Alvin Langdon Coburn. Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Hervey Allen: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/whallenjr.htm
Annie Dillard: http://www.quotesworthrepeating.com/quote-by/a-quote-by/annie-dillard/375-quotation-by-annie-dillard/
W. D. Snodgrass: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:William_De_Witt_Snodgrass.jpg, Wikimedia Commons
Samuel Hazo: Samuel Hazo | New Directions Publishing (ndbooks.com)
Ed Roberson: Photo by Rachel Eliza Griffiths, http://www.edroberson.net/bio.html
Jan Beatty: http://blog.bestamericanpoetry.com/the_best_american_poetry/2009/02/ed-ochester-presents-a-poem-by-jan-beatty.html
Ed Ochester: http://grierhorner.com/blog_jan08.html
Robert Gibb: http://www.uapress.com/titles/fa12/gibb.html
Peter Oresick: https://www.chatham.edu/ccps/mfa/facultydetails.cfm?FacultyID=48
Gerald Costanzo: http://www.asu.edu/piper/conference/2006/faculty/index.htm
Ray DiPalma: http://jacketmagazine.com/40/dipalma-obliquium-10.shtml
Joseph Bathanti: http://video.unctv.org/video/2277552283/
Haniel Long: http://www.quazoo.com/q/Haniel_Long
